Châlons Vatry Airport

Châlons Vatry Airport (French: Aéroport Châlons-Vatry; IATA: XCR, ICAO: LFOK) is a minor international airport serving Châlons-en-Champagne (formerly Châlons-sur-Marne) in northeastern France. It is located 22 km (14 mi) southeast of Châlons-en-Champagne, near Vatry, in the Marne department.[1] It opened as Vatry Air Base in 1953 and switched from military to civilian use in 2000.

Châlons Vatry Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorSociété d'Exploitation Vatry Europort (SEVE)
ServesChâlons-en-Champagne, France
LocationVatry
Elevation AMSL586 ft / 179 m
Coordinates48°46′24″N 04°12′22″E
Websiteparisvatry.com
Map
LFOK
Location in the Champagne-Ardenne
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
10/28 3,860 12,664 Concrete
Statistics (2018)
Passengers61 826
Passenger change 17-1843.2%
Sources: French AIP,[1] UAF,[2] DAFIF[3][4]

For freight operations, it is marketed as Vatry Europort and gave its name to the former communauté de communes de l'Europort. For passenger traffic, it is also unofficially marketed as Paris-Vatry or Paris-Vatry (Disney), although it is 147 km (91 mi) east of downtown Paris and approximately 105 km (65 mi) away from Disneyland Paris.

History
See also: Vatry Air Base

Châlons Vatry Airport's origins began in 1950 when, with the Cold War, NATO faced several problems while attempting to solve the air power survival equation. Planning for first strike survival in both conventional and nuclear wars had to be considered. Construction began in 1953, and Vatry Air Base was designed for 50 fighters with three large hangars constructed. With the French withdrawal from the integrated NATO military structure in 1967, the American forces left Vatry Air Base and it was closed.

For many years, Vatry Air Base was under the control of the French Air Force and used for a training facility. Around 2000, it was sold to civil interests and today is being used as an international heavy cargo and commercial passenger airport.[5]

Châlons Vatry Airport's serves too as a pilot training site for both commercial and military planes. Users of the facility include: Air France, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, KLM, Transavia, Transavia France, Swiss International Air Lines.

Due to the length of its runway, Airbus often uses this airport for testing new aircraft, such as the tests for A350 Velocity Minimum Unstick.

In June 2020, TARMAC Aerosave, a unit of French industrial groups plans a fourth aircraft storage site, after around two thirds of the global fleet was grounded at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Vatry will handle both active storage - or short-term parking aimed at keeping the jets ready for flight - and longer term mothballing, which can last for months or even years.

Facilities

The airport is 586 feet (179 m) above mean sea level. It has one paved runway designated 10/28 which measures 3,860 by 45 metres (12,664 ft × 148 ft).[1]

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
Ryanair Marrakesh, Porto
Seasonal: Fez

References
  1. LFOK – Chalons Vatry. AIP from French Service d'information aéronautique, effective 28 January 2021.
  2. Aéroport de Paris Vatry (XCR /LFOK) Archived 26 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine at Union des Aéroports Français
  3. Airport information for LFOK from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
  4. Airport information for XCR at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
  5. Vatry International Airport Archived 26 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine at Sovereign-Publications.com
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